Used
by sircheeks21
Summary: Tea’s love for Yami leads her to aspire to become a better duelist. That, along with an attempt to make him jealous gives her a great idea. She seeks out a rival duelist and then comes to realize that maybe Yami isn't exactly what she wants anymore.
1. Chapter 1

The clock struck 2:45 on a crisp autumn Friday afternoon at Domino Hugh School. Hoards of students filled with excitement and anticipation over the upcoming weekend hastily stormed through the two trademark navy blue doors of the Japanese High School. It is within this mad exodus of students where we find our beautiful brunette heroine pushing her way _against_ the masses, desperately trying to fight her way back into the building. For Téa Gardner, today was a very special day – it was Friday. In fact, for Téa, Fridays in general had a magical feel to them. On Friday the grass is greener, the skies are brighter, heck – even the cafeteria food tastes better.

Why is this day so much more wonderful than its predecessors, you ask?

The reason for all of this insanity stood approximately 15 feet in front of her – frantically jumping in attempt to reach his textbooks so cruelly located on the top row of school lockers. She giggled at his plight. Téa knew that figure and she could recognize him from a mile away. I mean, sure his unorthodox hair style and diminutive stature were dead giveaways, but more than anything he has a presence about him whenever he entered a room or encountered a difficult situation.

And it is that very presence that Téa Gardner had admittedly fallen head-over-heals in love with.

"Hey Yugi!" Téa reached her friend after wading through a sea of aqua blue and pink school jackets.

"Oh, hi Téa." The young boy retorted. His eyes held a child-like innocence the likes of which Téa has ever seen. Deep violets glimmered and shined – looking innocently at Téa. His eyes seemed to reflecting the purity of his heart…and possibly something else?

Téa abandoned that thought. She grabbed a notebook book from the top shelf of the cold metal locker and handed it to him – smiling. "So, are you and Yami ready for today's big duel?"

Yugi remained silent and paid no attention to the brunette standing in front of him. His jovial spirit seemed uncharacteristically stoic, as his mind wandered while his small hands reached for a textbook – Egyptian History this time.

"Hell-lo? Earth to Yugi…" Téa's arms rested on the blue fabric of her skirt as she leaded over to take a good look at her zoned out friend. A quizzical look graced her features as she starred at the young duelist.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh sorry Téa, I was just thinking about something." A slight tinge of crimson filled Yugi's cheeks as he became aware of their close proximity. Yugi quickly reached for the last textbook and placed it neatly aside the others in the confides of his small brown book bag.

"Come on Yugi, we have to go – Tristan and Joey are waiting for us!"

Once Yugi finished packing up his textbooks, the two students made their way outside of the building in hopes of enjoying what had become the typical Friday afternoon rituals. Aside from the special event that surrounded today, each day after classes Yugi and his friends all headed to what had become 'their spot' – a tree Téa picked out on the first day of high school class.

_Flashback_

Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa carried their lunch trays out of the cafeteria in search of a place to sit down and eat. The Domino High atrium was completely packed with students, so the recently assembled group of friends searched the picnic benches outside for a spot to eat their afternoon meals.

"Aww, all of 'dez benches here are taken!" Joey dejectedly commented.

"Don't worry Joey," Téa began, "we'll eventually find somewhere to eat."

"Well we better, cause I'm starvin' here" Tristan added.

After scanning all available locations, it became apparent that seating room was especially limited on this particular day.

"Ah, I've had it wit' all of this!"

A frustrated Joey Wheeler hastily made his way towards the grassy fields to sit down and enjoy the remainder of his lunch period. The three followed in pursuit and eventually they found themselves beneath the beautiful violet flowers and the slim round trunk of a great Lilac tree.

Joining Joey, Téa, Yugi, and Tristan each sat down on the soft green grass in front of the tree and began eating lunch. A gentle breeze blew from the south on this mild spring afternoon. Conversations regarding crushes, teachers, and of course duel monsters ensued, which gave way to smiles and eventually laughter between bits of food and drink. The four friends did not realize it at the time, but this warm spring day of utter happiness would be the staring point of a deep friendship that they figured would last forever.

At the conclusion of their lunch, Téa was the first to stand.

"Hey guys, come over here." The three boys stopped their conversations and then proceeded to gather around Téa. They watched carefully as she carefully reached into her beige handbag and pulled out a pair of slightly worn scissors.

"This tree is a symbol of our friendship." As Téa said this, she opened the scissors, astutely held them to the bark of the trunk, and began to carve four sets of initials into the bark of the wood. "I know that our friendship is strong, and like this tree…" she briefly paused. "…like this tree we'll be strong enough to overcome anything!" Téa finished engraving the initials 'TT', 'YM', 'JW', and 'TG' into the wood. She then carefully encircled the names with a heart and finally the letters 'BFF' underneath it.

The velvet-like violet Lilac petals gently fluttered down on that day – the day that Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Yugi established themselves as best friends forever.

_End Flashback_

"Yugi! Téa!" Tristan Taylor called out to his friends as he and Joey Wheeler waved while heading across the picnic benches to their usual spot underneath the Lilac tree. As the pair advanced, the wind picked up, which caused Joey's locks of blonde hair to sway back and forth. The two boys smiled and Yugi and Téa synonymously responded with cheerful greetings as Tristan and Joey dropped their bags and took their places on the grass. It was Tristan who began the conversation.

"Hey pal, you ready for the big duel?"

Yugi let out a small smile at the reference to the duel.

"Yup! Yami and I have been going over strategies, so I think that we should do just fine."

A quiet Téa inwardly stood by as the boys carried on with their conversation. She couldn't help but marvel at the wonder that was her friend Yugi Muto. This small boy possessed two very distinct sides to him: the humble boy that stood in front of her, and then, well there was his alter-ego. Yami Yugi, as she knew him was anything but humble. His strong spirit contrasted with his soft heart. The compassionate friendship that he showed her at times was completely unlike the fiery, ruthless competitor that emerged whenever he was challenged to a contest. All of these characteristics meshed with his dashing physique lead Téa to question whether or not it was proper to call such a person 'human'. She could easily understand why Yami made such a great Pharaoh.

Her thoughts caused her cheeks to tinge a slight pink. As she turned her face away from her friends in embarrassment, she accidentally locked eyes with the small boy sitting beside her. Her previous daydream filled her heart with the utmost curiosity. Téa, who was unaware of her actions for that brief moment, found herself lost in the deep purple recesses of little Yugi's eyes. She starred at him – desperately searching…delving…trying to catch a glimpse of that Spirit which lived inside of the Millennium Puzzle.

Téa's musings were cut short by a small twig which landed within the confines of her smooth auburn tresses.

"Joeeey!" she cried, removing the offending object.

"Ey, it ain't my fault you and Yug are spacing out over 'der. We gotta get goin' – it's almost time for the big duel!"

Téa and Yugi awakened from their trance and rose to their feet. Along with Joey and Tristan, the group left the comfortable surroundings of the Lilac tree and headed towards the predetermined battle spot. The long awaited match between the highly contested rivals was moments away from its commencement. The vengeful challenger stood atop the open area of the Domino gymnasium roof – early awaiting his chance at victory.

The wind picked up for the second time that afternoon. As the four friends walked towards their destination, Téa felt a sharp chill run down her spine, which inadvertently caused her to shiver. Something was out of place and she knew it. Despite how hard she tried to resist, the dark reoccurring thought that plagued the recesses her mind told her one thing and one thing only: _This isn't going to be a normal Friday afternoon_.


	2. Chapter 2

The four friends climbed the dim, narrow staircase up to the rooftop of the Domino gymnasium. The slender stairwell only allowed for the gang to ascend in linear fashion – first Yugi, then Téa, Tristan and finally Joey. Dark tunnel finally gave way to the crisp afternoon sun and the four faithful friends finally stood face to face with the challenger.

Little Yugi stood approximately fifteen feet from the contender standing at the far end of the competitor at the far side of the rectangular concrete rooftop.

"Go get 'em Yugi!"

"You can do it buddy!"

"Yeah, wipe da floor wit dis guy!"

As was always the case, all of his friends cheered him on.

_Friends_.

If there were something that Yugi could hang his hat on at the end of the day, it would be his three best friends. They have always been there for him - supporting him, cheering him, encouraging Yugi to do his best. And now, it was once again time for them to cheer their friend onto victory.

'Alright Yami, are you ready?'

'Yes Yugi, it is time'

Without warning, the Millennium Puzzle adorned on the small boy's neck began to shine a magnificent gold. The base of the puzzle hummed and writhed in a circular motion. Energy omitted from the mystical object radiated and sent the boy's tri-colored hair into a frenzy. At once, the boy cried the name of the mythical pharaoh and in a blue flash, the Spirit of the Puzzle made his legendary arrival.

There he stood.

Téa silently observed the change that occurred within her friend. The first and most apparent change she noted was his growth in stature. Yugi Muto stood at about 5 feet even while it appeared that his mystical counterpart grew what she estimated a full 6 and ¾ inches – give or take a quarter inch. Then of course there was the structural difference. The pharaoh had a much more defined figure – complete with strong jawbones and longer blonde hair. Yep, she definitely preferred his hair…it was much nicer than Tristan's, Joey's, Yugi's…and, well especially _his_.

"It's time to duel." Pharaoh boldly proclaimed.

"Hmph. Took you long enough." The challenger bitterly spat – his signature indigo trench coat bellowing in the wind as he continued. "I don't have time to sit around and wait for you and your band of cheerleaders all day." He closed his eyes and smirked as he concluded: "Next time, show some class and don't waste my time."

"Ey moneybags – you should be grateful dat Yug even gave ya sorry keister a chance at 'his title in da first place!" Joey shook his fist in anger towards the seemingly ungrateful duelist while making his way towards the challenger. Had it not been for his level-headed companion restraining him, Joey would have been knee-deep in confrontation with the one person that he hated more than anyone else – Seto Kaiba.

Completely oblivious to the scene, Kaiba dropped his metallic sliver briefcase onto the ground and proceeded to snap open the hinges. He removed two signature Kaiba Corporation Duel Disks from it and gently set them down next to him. After attaching one of the disks to his left arm, he took the second expensive piece of technology and threw it clear across the battlefield in one swift motion. As if on cue, Yami reached into the air and snatched the spinning object without moving an inch of his body.

Once the two duelists assembled their duel disks onto their respective arms, two semi-circular hologram projectors flew out from underneath the disks, and landed on the horizontal ends of the battlefield.

Without breaking his gaze towards his opponent, Kaiba closed his briefcase and rose to his feet. "Hmm…Yugi, I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time – the moment when I finally claim my rightful place as Duel Monster's World Champion."

"Kaiba, you will not claim anything without putting your faith into the heart of the cards!" As he said this, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Duel Monster's deck of forty cards. Kaiba's only retort was to reach into his violet overcoat and reveal his own deck. The two simultaneously inserted their respective decks into their duel disks and the showdown was about to begin.

"I'll start" Kaiba declared. "I'll place one card face down and I'll summon Vorse Raider the man-beast in attack mode!"

_The hologram projectors blinked twice and a virtual illustration of a fierce warrior appeared standing in front of its controller. The projected image of a psychotic fiend clad in a purple spotted outfit stood – waiting to appease the whims of its master._

"And now I'll end my turn." Kaiba nonchalantly added.

Without wasting a second, Yami Yugi began his own portion of the game.

"My move!" Pharaoh boldly proclaimed.

Yami's focus turned to the deck attached to his left arm. He drew a card, looked at it, and without adding it to his hand he placed it on the dueling disk.

"I summon the Mystical Elf in defense mode!"

_The hologram projectors at opposite ends of the battlefield glowed once again and a beautiful blue elf in long flowing robes with her hands clasped materialized - chanting some sort of a defensive spell._

"I'll place two cards face down and then I'll end my turn."

"Yugi," Kaiba began, "If that's the best that you can do, then taking your title as Duel Monster's champion will be a lot easier than I anticipated."

"Make your move, Kaiba" Yami muttered in a warning tone.

"Hmph – I will not loose." he retorted. "And to ensure this, I'll play the magic card: Stop defense!"

_As Kaiba said this, he placed the green magic card on the duel disk entitled 'Stop Defense'._

"Stop Defense automatically switches the position of your Mystical Elf from defense mode to attack mode." Seto continued. "Now – Vorse Raider, attack Yugi's Mystical Elf with your blade slice attack!"

_The crazed Vorse Raider accelerated towards Yami's vulnerable Mystical Elf in a full out offensive. The mighty warrior clenched onto its axe with both hands and leapt high into the air, ready to unleash a devastating attack. Before the attacked connected, Vorse Raider was halted by the sound of an all-to-familiar voice._

"Not so fast Kaiba! Reveal trap: Mirror Force!"

_As Pharaoh outstretched his hand in declaration, the first hologram face down card stood erect, revealing the trap card Mirror Force. A giant transparent glass wall materialized between the elf and the beast. The air bound Vorse Raider's attack was intercepted by the mirror. The warrior's reflection shattered in the mirror, along with the pixilated hologram of Vorse Raider itself._

"All right Yugi!" Téa, Joey and Tristan cheered in unison.

"Hmph." Kaiba muttered. "It's my turn."

Seto retained his composure and drew his next card. He placed another card on the disk and activated it.

"Pot of Greed allows me to draw two additional cards from my deck."

He did so and then made another move.

"I'll set a card face down and play this monster in defense mode. Your move."

_Within the Chambers of the Millennium Puzzle_

'I'm not too sure about this Yami' Little Yugi began. 'Kaiba seems…well, different.'

Yami and his host discussed the current state of their battle.

'There is nothing to worry about Yugi. All we need to do is believe in ourselves, our friends, and the heart of the cards. Then, there is nothing that we can't do.'

'I guess you're right. But still, I have a bad feeling about this…'


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read and/or review this story.

_Back to Domino High Rooftop_

Téa, Joey, and Tristan eagerly watched on as the duel monsters contest continued on in full force.

"So Joey," Téa started, "Do you think Yugi has a chance to win this duel?"

" 'Course Téa! Our pal Yugi would never loose ta some creep like Kaiba! I'm sure Yug has a plan to kick dat no good dragon-lovin' slimeball from here ta kingdom come!"

"I dunno Joey." Tristan interjected. "This duel has been pretty even-sided to this point."

"Tristan!" Joey yelled at his friend. "You sayin' Yug's gon' loose ta Kaiba?!"

"Calm down buddy. All I'm saying is it that looks even so far."

"Yugi will win this duel, I know it." Téa firmly granted to the two quarreling boys. "We just need to believe in him."

'Come on Yugi' Téa inwardly mused. 'I know you can do it!'

The wind blew as the two duelists stood at opposite sides of the battle field. The next move belonged to the Pharaoh, who was ready to launch his counter-offensive.

"It's my turn now Kaiba."

Yami drew a card and then added it to his hand.

'Excellent!' Yugi internally voiced to his ancient counterpart. 'The Dark Magician!'

'But how do we summon him?' Yugi further questioned. 'Kaiba has two face down cards, which are probably traps…and…"

In a soft yet firm voice, Yami assuaged his aibou: 'Yugi, have you forgotten of our plan already?'

The abrupt end of conversation indicated Yugi's slight embarrassment and lack of focus for that matter too. Yami, sensing the tension residing within the boy, thought it better not to push for any alternative reason causing his friend so much discomfort.

Putting internal conversation aside, the King of Games decided to put his well-concocted plan into effect.

"Now Kaiba – behold the magic of magical dimension!"

_Yami's face down card surfaced revealing the all-powerful card, Magical Dimension_

"Let me explain how this card works," he began. "By offering a spellcaster on my side of the field as a tribute, I am automatically able to summon a different spellcaster in my hand to the field. Then I…"

"I know how the card works Yugi!" An irritated Kaiba interrupted. "Get on with it."

_In an instant, Yami's Mystical Elf de-pixilated and gave way to what looked like some sort of a dark portal hovering above the battle field. The inter-dimensional portal began to shimmer and slowly, and from within the portal descended a magician clothed in a fine lilac. Light blue orbs carried a solemn demeanor that spoke of power and arrogance – equivalent to that of the Pharaoh. His hair fittingly matched his armor, along with the headdress he adorned that seemingly crowned him king of all magic. _

"From the mystical dimension portal, come forth my Dark Magician!"

The Dark Magician descended from the airborne rift, equipped with his trademark staff and serious demeanor. The gang looked on as purple boots gave way to the Pharaoh's signature duel monster.

"My Dark Magician should ensure that I leave this duel the victor." Yami assuredly proclaimed.

Seto Kaiba looked at the Pharaoh. "Hmph, dream on."

"Dark Magician, attack Kaiba's facedown card with Dark Magic Attack!"

_The magical sage raised his staff and held it level with the face down card. Particles of energy drifted and then formulated into a massive ball of dark power. As soon as enough energy was assembled, the Dark Magician released the projectile from the tip of the staff towards Kaiba's hidden monster. Seconds before the blast connected, a hologram of Kaiba's mysterious monster emerged hovering directly over the face down card. The ball of dark energy penetrated Kaiba's creature, which gave way to the rupturing sound of pixels as whatever was left of the card immediately was sent to the card graveyard._

"Yeah!!" Joey and Tristan exchanged high fives in support of their friend and his seemingly small defeat in this particular exchange of monsters. "Yug's got 'dis duel in da bag!" Joey happily proclaimed while adding a wide toothy grin to his statement. Téa rejoiced as well, however – unbeknownst to her friends, her happiness stemmed from seeing her beloved Pharaoh succeed in his current encounter with his rival.

"I should thank you." Seto Kaiba began in a low, husky voice, "your predictability never ceases to amaze me."

He then continued.

"You've just triggered the events that will lead to your downfall and my ascent as the number one duelist in the entire world!"

"Explain yourself Kaiba!" Pharaoh commanded.

"In due time" he retorted, "but first, take a closer look at the monster you just sent to the card graveyard."

Yami and his friends turned their collective attention to the vanishing image of the monster recently vanquished by the Dark Magician. The amorphous shape of a pale brown figure wiggled squirmed around for a few more seconds and then faded away.

Yami took note of the monster and then it hit him. "Oh no!"

On the sidelines, a slightly puzzled Téa Gardner turned to Joey in hopes of finding some clarification to the intricacies of the duel. "Joey, why is Yugi so concerned about Kaiba's monster? It doesn't seem too powerful to me." A much more solemn Joey Wheeler met her gaze with an answer. "If 'dat is what I think it is," he started, "then things are not lookin' so good for Yugi."

A smug-looking Seto Kaiba smirked as he continued drawing out Yami's apprehensions.

"Your Dark Magician just destroyed my deadly Giant Germ. In addition to your loosing 500 life points, my germ replicates and allows me to summon two more copies of it from my deck to the field."

(Seto: 4000)

(Yami: 3500)

The young CEO searched through his cards and proceeded to play two more copies of the viral monster. The holograms appeared on the playing field and by the looks of things; Kaiba was not done putting his strategy into full effect.

"And that's not all." Kaiba's all-to-familiar smirk graced his features.

"Yugi, not only did your foolish attack allow me to summon two more deadly giant germs to the field, it also triggered one of the most devastating trap cards in the game..."

The level of intensity in Seto Kaiba's explanation increased with each passing sentence.

"You must also face the might of my lethal Crush Card Virus!"

It was Kaiba's outstretched hand this time that gave way to the now vertical face down trap card.

_A hologram of the departed giant germ materialized and made its way towards Yami's deck. Upon contacting the Pharaoh's duel disk, the brown amoeba-figure dissolved – not before emitting a high-pitched tone that startled the onlookers as well as one of the participants._

"This trap ensues my victory." A much calmer Kaiba simply stated. "As long as my Crush Card Virus remains on the field, any monster on your side of the field with 1500 attack points or more will be automatically destroyed."

"That means…"

"Yes." Kaiba confirmed. "Take a look at your precious Dark Magician"

_The Pharaoh's seemingly unbeatable spellcaster knelt on his right knee – both hands clenched on the left side of his chest. The Crush Card Virus clearly infected the ancient sage. With pain clearly prescribed on his once stern features, the Dark Magician collapsed on the battlefield and then silently disappeared as suddenly as he arrived._

Once the purple pixels shattered, a smug-looking Seto Kaiba smirked. "How's that for heart of the cards?"

If you were to take a look at the faces of those witnessing the showdown on the rooftop, different emotions would be found depending on where you gazed. Two sets of brown orbs gazing in from the sideline would have revealed shock and primarily disbelief. Violets on the battlefield depicted apprehension. The pair of heavy blue eyes staring across from him carried the same stoic demeanor they usually do. The same look that stood present for most of the duel.

And then there was Téa.

Téa Gardner – the happy, ever optimistic cheerleader of the group stood there with shinning bright eyes and a strong determined will. To her, this seemingly hopeless situation was nothing more than another obstacle waiting for her Pharaoh to overcome. Just looking at Téa, if anything, you might think that _Yami_ was the one who had just out-dueled his opponent and seemingly backed him up into the corner.

Meanwhile, while the stunning turn of events left all onlookers silent, Yami and Yugi internally struggled to sort out unacknowledged feelings.

_Within the Millennium Puzzle_

'Yugi, I know this duel looks grim and things are not going our way, but I _need_ you to trust me.'

A visibly shaken Yugi remained behind the confines of his spirit room and met his plea from inside. 'We can't do this Yami. Something was off from the very beginning of this duel and I knew it.'

Yami noticed that the door to his vessel's inner chamber had not been locked. Taking this opportunity, Pharaoh gently applied pressure to the handle and made his way into his counterpart's room. Yugi's spirit chamber, as well as his own, always reflected the feelings of the occupant's heart. Normally, whenever Yami entered the room to pay a visit to his other half, the surroundings told a story of a young boy with child-like innocence and purity of heart. Balloons, dolls, building blocks, puzzle pieces and various other play toys could be found scattered across the bright yellow space. The door, usually open and inviting, was suspiciously closed or cracked as Yami found it today.

The uncharacteristically closed door was just the first of many changes in Yugi's spirit room. As the King of Games turned the handle on the think wooden door, he took in the foreign scenery surrounding him. The playfulness of the bright cream walls was replaced with a dark, sharp violet color that spoke of abandonment and angst. The teddy bears and stuffed animals that Yami always found himself stumbling over late at night gave way to a layer of what looked like dozens of black question marks. The magnitude of changes present in the small boy's room made Yami think twice as to whether he had in fact entered the correct door.

The small boy he noticed curled up in the corner of the room put an end to his previous thought.

'Yugi…'

Yami barely whispered his aibou's name as the shock of the sight befalling him nearly rendered him speechless.

'You're the great Pharaoh! so explain to me: how did this happen?! Why did Kaiba destroy the Dark Magician?' The acidic nature of Yugi's tone caused Yami to take subconsciously take a small step back. He quickly regained his composure and admitted himself completely into the mysterious confines of Yugi's chamber.

'The duel is not over.' He softly began. 'I just need you to trust me and put your faith in the…'

'…the heart of the cards, right?' Yugi finished for him.

'Yami…'

'Yes'

'Have you ever wondered why we always draw the card that we need at the very time we need it?'

Yami closed his eyes and smiled.

'Yes Yugi. We are rewarded by our faith in our decks and in ourselves. Destiny has predetermined the outcome of the contest – and for that we can only be thankful.'

With his back still to his ancient friend, Yugi stood up and turned to face Yami. His youthful large purple eyes gazed upon the spirit that stood in front of him. Yami met the curiosity written in Yugi's eyes with determination and a bright, fiery passion.

'What happens when destiny sides against us?'

Such a simple question carried such grand implications for the two of them. The intensity detected throughout Yugi's statement hovered above the two for them to contemplate. Truth be told, Yami hadn't actually considered the alternatives to his firm belief in destiny and the heart of the cards. While fate has aided the King of Games for as long as he could remember, he had never once stopped to think what would happen if destiny had chosen another.

For the very first time, Yami had no answer for his aibou. Instead, he vanished from the dark room to test the possibilities that ran through his mind.


End file.
